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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — music
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com